The service will feature 4G connectivity using Three’s UK network as well as 30-day contracts with no exit fees. By using an MVNO partner like x-Mobility, companies with no expertise in telecoms can still offer a mobile service to their subscribers. Describing this trend, x-Mobility’s CMO and co-founder Shanks Kulam stated, ‘Creating a mobile offering for existing subscribers is a great expansion on the core business for a utility company, or indeed a brand in almost any sector.’

He continued, ‘This launch has shown that it is viable for all kinds of organisation to launch mobile brands configured to serve their target customer base.’

Ecotalk’s prices per month start from 250MB for £7.50 to 6GB for £25. All tariffs are SIM-only. Their website explains, ‘Our call, text and data services will be powered by 100% green energy from the wind and sun, making it a uniquely green mobile phone service. We think this will be the first of its kind in Britain, if not the world.’

Utilities and mobility services have long been rumoured as markets with high potential for convergence. However, few have managed to gain a foothold. SSE pulled the plug on their £25m O2 powered MVNO in 2014, blaming Ofgem’s decision to limit the number of tariffs a utility company can offer. More successful in the space is Telecom Plus who have a 20% share in Ovum energy and also run Utility Warehouse. In the B2B market, Verastar are one of the few unified comms suppliers to also handle a company’s utility billing.

Also bringing the two industries ever closer is the connected home. Offerings like Hive and utility smart meters not only challenge the mobile’s role as the hub of the connected home, they can also require M2M SIM solutions in order to give automatic meter readings.

x-Mobility also hinted to Mobile that there would be more MVNO announcements from them coming soon.